Why Teach Drama?
Dramatic activity is already a natural part of most children’s lives before they start school in the form of make-believe play, enabling them to make sense of their own identity by exploring meaningful fictional situations that have parallels in the real world. This can be utilised at school through structured play and drama to encourage pupils to learn actively and interactively throughout the primary years and across the curriculum.
Children like to move and to interact with others. In drama we ask them to do exactly this. Rather than sitting still and listening they are encouraged to move, speak and respond to one another. Students who are challenged by reading and writing (including those with English as a second language) often respond more positively to the imaginative and multi-sensory learning offered by drama. This in turn helps them develop such skills as creativity, enquiry, communication, empathy, self confidence, cooperation, leadership and negotiation. Most importantly, drama activities are fun – making learning both enjoyable and memorable.
Drama is ideal for cross-curricular learning and is a valuable tool for use in many subject areas.. In particular, drama develops literacy skills – supporting speaking and listening, extending vocabulary and encouraging pupils to understand and express different points of view. Dramatic activity motivates children to write for a range of purposes.
Drama gives children opportunities to explore, discuss and deal with difficult issues and express their emotions in a supportive environment. It enables them to explore their own cultural values and those of others, past and present. It encourages them to think and act creatively, thus developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be applied in all areas of learning. Through drama, children are encouraged to take responsible roles and make choices – to participate in and guide their own learning. Teachers can take a more open-ended approach, concentrating on the process of learning at least as much as – if not more than – the product.
Curriculum Intent
- Learning through play
- Active and interactive
- Develops speaking and listening skills
- Motivation and inspiration for all kinds of writing
- Multi-sensory
- Learning through experience and fun
- Emotional involvement promotes learning
- Promotes teamwork and other skills
- Appeals to different learning modes
Curriculum Implementation
Drama will be delivered for 1 hour a week to all children. During this time children will take part in a mixture of practical and theory classes having the opportunity to be taught, explore, create, devise and ultimately perform in one capacity or the other. Performances will vary in length, style and complexity.
Each lesson will build upon knowledge and skills with key stage 1 and 2 learning basic skills through play, key stage 3 using play to develop ideas and learn existing theories and practices and Key stage 4 following the GCSE syllabus.
The theatre trip will take place in half term 4 giving every student the opportunity to build on their cultural capital and have a new experience.
Curriculum Impact
The drama curriculum will foster an appreciation of the Arts and culture whilst developing a lifelong love of learning. Students will become confident, resilient, reflective learners whilst learning to respect other people, traditions and cultures. Focused and engaging learning opportunities will lead to students with an interest in performance and choosing Drama at GCSE level. The skills, knowledge and terminology gained in KS3 will form the foundation for learning and development in KS4. All students will gain a range of wider, transferrable skills which will support their personal development and learning in other subjects.
The theatre trip will impact those less fortunate who have not had the opportunity to see live performance which will inspire create thought and will expand career aspirations.